Southgate Fort

Southgate Fort was a fort built around Boston's southern entrance, on top of the Boston Neck. The fort was located at the only accessible land-route to Boston, and it established protection from potential attacks. When the Siege of Boston began in 1775, Governor Thomas Gage ordered that the fortifications be expanded and strengthened, becoming known as "Gage's Lines". Starting in the 19th century, land was added to Boston Neck, widening it to make room for the city to grow and to ease traffic both on and off the isthmus. By 1822, the remains of the fortifications at the town gate were still visible, and parts of the town wall still stand today.